Seminar Research Project: "Learning from the Past"
ACTIVITIES
Activity #1: Guiding Research Questions Objective: In this activity, you will choose a research topic, explore the basics of the topic, and begin to narrow your topic down into specific people and events.
(1) Download and complete the following activity:
Activity #2: Evaluating Online Resources Objective: In this activity, you will explore the sites I've found for your topic, find new sites for your topic, and learn how to share these sites through the wiki.
(1) Download and complete the following activity:
Activity #3: Finding Information Sources for your Topics Objective: In this activity, you will find an informative source for each of the people and events you chose related to your topic.
Activity #4: Quote, Paraphrase, and Summarize Article Objective: In this activity, you will read one of your chosen articles and show that you know how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize the article.
(1) Complete the assignment and see an example here.
(2) If you don't remember the difference between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, go to this website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/
Activity #5: Collecting and Reading Sources Objective: In this activity, you will build on everything you've done so far to choose your 3 main subtopics (people/events) and quote, collect at least one article for each subtopic, and quote, paraphrase, and summarize from each of the articles.
(1) Decide upon your three subtopics (people, event, or places related to your topic)
(2) Use the websites below to find and print at least one article for each of the subtopics.
(3) Using the same format as in the wiki post (see below), read and summarize each of your articles in a Word document:
--The author and title of the article.
--A summary of the article (provide the main points or "highlights" of the article)
--Quote something from the article.
--Paraphrase something from the article (provide the original text that you are quoting from as well). Your word document should include a summary, quotes, and paraphrase from each of your three articles. (You can copy and paste anything you've already worked on).
Activity #6: Drafting the Body Objective: Outline and begin drafting the three body paragraphs that you'll be writing for each of your subtopics (your people, events, and/or places related to your topic).
(1) Open this file for an outline and example of how to write your body paragraphs:
(2) Once you've viewed the outline and example, begin drafting your body paragraphs (one for each subtopic).
TUESDAY 5/12/09: PRINT YOUR PARAGRAPHS BEFORE THE END OF THE PERIOD AND BRING TO CLASS TOMORROW
Activity #7: Drafting the Intro and Conclusion Objective: Examine the outline below to see the structure of the Introduction and Conclusion sections of your paper. Start drafting your Introduction and then Conclusion paragraphs while being sure to follow the format.
Download and open the following file to see how you should structure your paper (pay specific attention to the Introduction and Conclusion sections for this assignment):
[opening quotation or question-->"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love". [my own commentary and extension of the quote-->These words by Martin Luther King, Jr. sum up his approach to creating a better future for his children and all the children of America: love of fellow people must conquer hate and violence if America is to become the best country that it can be. [define the topic (civil rights)/What, When, Where was it?-->The American Civil Rights Movement was an attempt to change patterns of racism, violence, and hatred in America to create this better future. [thesis statement-->Beginning in the mid-1950s, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott all contributed to this quest for equality for all Americans, a battle that still continues today.
((EXAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH))
[topic sentence states the related person or event-->Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement. King was a pastor who led the fight for equality for African-Americans. [related quote-->One of his earliest battles for greater rights was taking on leadership of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, the “first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States” (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”). [explanation/commentary on the quote-->This was a nonviolent demonstration intended to send a message against segregation laws that, at that time, treated Blacks poorly as compared to Whites. [paraphrased information from related article-->King is best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech, but during the 11-year period between 1957 and 1968, he spoke over 2,500 times in his battle for equality (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”). King’s journey ended with his tragic assassination on April 4, 1968, but his dream for a land where his children--and all people—would be judged by their character rather than the color of their skin lives on long after him.
((EXAMPLE CONCLUSION))
[restate thesis-->Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott all contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, a journey for equal rights among American citizens that still continues today. [Why is this topic still important to learn about today? How does it relate to our future and the future of America? What can we learn from it to improve our future?-->There is still a battle going on in our country for equal freedoms among people regardless of their race, religion, or beliefs. Martin Luther King spoke on what is necessary to fight this war for equal rights: [quote from one of the people I researched-->"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Violence will only bring more violence; it is a battle of ideas, and we must win it to ensure that all men, women, and children in the future of our country can live better lives than those who came before them.
TOPIC RESOURCES
Here are a few sources for each topic to get you started.
For all Topics: http://www.tolerance.org/
--"Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation's children." You can search this site for articles on your topic. This site could be particularly useful for the second section of your paper where you suggest how the issue can be improved.
Seminar Research Project: "Learning from the Past"
ACTIVITIES
Activity #1: Guiding Research Questions
Objective: In this activity, you will choose a research topic, explore the basics of the topic, and begin to narrow your topic down into specific people and events.
(1) Download and complete the following activity:
Activity #2: Evaluating Online Resources
Objective: In this activity, you will explore the sites I've found for your topic, find new sites for your topic, and learn how to share these sites through the wiki.
(1) Download and complete the following activity:
(2) Go to the following page to complete the last part of the activity (posting site #4): Seminar Research Project Student Page
Activity #3: Finding Information Sources for your Topics
Objective: In this activity, you will find an informative source for each of the people and events you chose related to your topic.
Activity #4: Quote, Paraphrase, and Summarize Article
Objective: In this activity, you will read one of your chosen articles and show that you know how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize the article.
(1) Complete the assignment and see an example here.
(2) If you don't remember the difference between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, go to this website:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/
Activity #5: Collecting and Reading Sources
Objective: In this activity, you will build on everything you've done so far to choose your 3 main subtopics (people/events) and quote, collect at least one article for each subtopic, and quote, paraphrase, and summarize from each of the articles.
(1) Decide upon your three subtopics (people, event, or places related to your topic)
(2) Use the websites below to find and print at least one article for each of the subtopics.
(3) Using the same format as in the wiki post (see below), read and summarize each of your articles in a Word document:
--The author and title of the article.
--A summary of the article (provide the main points or "highlights" of the article)
--Quote something from the article.
--Paraphrase something from the article (provide the original text that you are quoting from as well).
Your word document should include a summary, quotes, and paraphrase from each of your three articles. (You can copy and paste anything you've already worked on).
Activity #6: Drafting the Body
Objective: Outline and begin drafting the three body paragraphs that you'll be writing for each of your subtopics (your people, events, and/or places related to your topic).
(1) Open this file for an outline and example of how to write your body paragraphs:
(2) Once you've viewed the outline and example, begin drafting your body paragraphs (one for each subtopic).
TUESDAY 5/12/09: PRINT YOUR PARAGRAPHS BEFORE THE END OF THE PERIOD AND BRING TO CLASS TOMORROW
Activity #7: Drafting the Intro and Conclusion
Objective: Examine the outline below to see the structure of the Introduction and Conclusion sections of your paper. Start drafting your Introduction and then Conclusion paragraphs while being sure to follow the format.
Download and open the following file to see how you should structure your paper (pay specific attention to the Introduction and Conclusion sections for this assignment):
((EXAMPLE INTRODUCTION))
[opening quotation or question-->"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love". [my own commentary and extension of the quote-->These words by Martin Luther King, Jr. sum up his approach to creating a better future for his children and all the children of America: love of fellow people must conquer hate and violence if America is to become the best country that it can be. [define the topic (civil rights)/What, When, Where was it?-->The American Civil Rights Movement was an attempt to change patterns of racism, violence, and hatred in America to create this better future. [thesis statement-->Beginning in the mid-1950s, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott all contributed to this quest for equality for all Americans, a battle that still continues today.
((EXAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH))
[topic sentence states the related person or event-->Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement. King was a pastor who led the fight for equality for African-Americans. [related quote-->One of his earliest battles for greater rights was taking on leadership of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, the “first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States” (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”). [explanation/commentary on the quote-->This was a nonviolent demonstration intended to send a message against segregation laws that, at that time, treated Blacks poorly as compared to Whites. [paraphrased information from related article-->King is best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech, but during the 11-year period between 1957 and 1968, he spoke over 2,500 times in his battle for equality (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”). King’s journey ended with his tragic assassination on April 4, 1968, but his dream for a land where his children--and all people—would be judged by their character rather than the color of their skin lives on long after him.
((EXAMPLE CONCLUSION))
[restate thesis-->Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott all contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, a journey for equal rights among American citizens that still continues today. [Why is this topic still important to learn about today? How does it relate to our future and the future of America? What can we learn from it to improve our future?-->There is still a battle going on in our country for equal freedoms among people regardless of their race, religion, or beliefs. Martin Luther King spoke on what is necessary to fight this war for equal rights: [quote from one of the people I researched-->"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Violence will only bring more violence; it is a battle of ideas, and we must win it to ensure that all men, women, and children in the future of our country can live better lives than those who came before them.
TOPIC RESOURCES
Here are a few sources for each topic to get you started.
For all Topics:
http://www.tolerance.org/
--"Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation's children." You can search this site for articles on your topic. This site could be particularly useful for the second section of your paper where you suggest how the issue can be improved.
Civil Rights / Racism:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
--Timeline of important events in the Civil Rights Movement since 1954.
http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/1997/mlk/links.html
--CNN's timeline of Civil Rights events.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/profiles/index.html
--On the left-hand side of the page there are links to Profiles of people and groups important to the movement, as well as Milestone in the movement.
The Holocaust / Genocide and Religious Persecution:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.html
--extensive timeline of The Holocaust, 1938-1945.
http://library.thinkquest.org/12663/
--student-created site that includes information and links to other sites
http://www.ushmm.org/
--United States Holocaust Memorial Museum site. Includes links to lots of useful information.
Vietnam / War:
http://www.vietnamwar.com/
--great source for info; use the links on the left-hand side of the page
http://www.vietnampix.com/intro.htm
--a visual overview of the war through photographs and captions
http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/
--PBS website on Vietnam
Login/Passwords for Library Research Sites
Facts on File
-- login: parkland pass: history
-- site for American, World, African-American History
History Study Center
-- login: phstrojans pass: 18104
-- History articles, biographies, study guides